I was working with a client the other week and heard myself say, “How much savings would be enough?” Damn! There’s that word again! Trying to get it out of my vocabulary but it creeps in like a sneaky old boyfriend.

REFRAME! Let’s look at the difference between having enough savings and having plenty of savings.

Enough savings might mean that you have $2,500 saved, and all is good until the dog starts foaming at the mouth and the trip to the Vet Hospital totals $2,300. Gulp. You have the money to cover the bill, but probably feel demoralized about having to use most of your savings for this one event.

Consider what plenty of savings might look like. If you had $20,000 saved and the vet bill was $2,300 you could easily pay it and not really feel the impact to your savings. That’s having plenty. Plenty is ample. Plenty gives you breathing room. Plenty provides choices.

So, how do you get from enough to plenty?

A – U – T – O – M – A – T – E

Set up a transfer to savings the minute you get paid (and for those of you who are self-employed, start paying yourself a salary!). Even if it’s only $25 or $50 a month— it’s worth it to start because you are building new muscles, and they need to be exercised. You can set a reminder every couple of months to increase your savings by $5-10 and you won’t even notice it.

Be fearless and name a savings goal that feels like a crazy big stretch. And then plug away at reaching it.

Aim beyond “enough” to the land of plenty, and you’ll be surprised by how much closer you get to reaching your financial dreams.

About LunaJaffe

Luna Jaffe is a Certified Financial Planner, visual artist, author and professional speaker. She holds a Master's Degree in depth psychology and is the founder and CEO of Lunaria Financial based in (yet not limited to) Portland, Oregon.